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10 Questions with ... Matt Grasso
March 14, 2006
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NAME:Matt GrassoTITLE:OM/PDSTATION:WBTZMARKET:Burlington, VT (#136)COMPANY:Operated by Hall CommunicationsBORN:Manchester, CTRAISED:Vernon, CT
LAST NON-INDUSTRY JOB:
Elementary School Soccer Coach
BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
Helped sign-on WEBK/Killington, morning drive at WEQX/Albany, and now I'm programming WBTZ (and WIZN.)
FIRST RECORD EVER PURCHASED:
The Cult "Electric"
FIRST CONCERT:
Billy Joel
FAVORITE BAND OF ALL-TIME:
Eric B and Rakim. True geniuses.
1. What part of your job do you like best? Least?
Best: I really love being a part of every decision made. Sometimes they tell me I'm crazy, but at least they as for my opinion.
Least: I hate that Arbitron only calls land lines. Yes, I know they're "working on it." I'm working on winning Powerball. Ask yourself this... who do you know that has a land line, would actually field a research call, and has the time to fill out a diary for $1? My career is tied to those people, and that blows.
2. Why was the station so successful in the Fall '05 Book?
We've made a one-to-one connection with thousands of people. We spend time with them at events. We go places with them. A little bit of humble will go a long way. That old "act like a rockstar" act doesn't work. We're pulling just short of a 20 share with Men 18-34 and that's a fickle bunch. We need to continue to build relationships, continue to be down to earth, and continue to recruit lost souls into the buzz army.
3. What makes The Buzz unique?
Demographics make our station unique. Hippies in Burlington, hipsters in Montreal, and hard working blue collar bandits in Plattsburgh. Somehow, we've managed to strike a chord with all of them. Our total cume is still over 200,000. That's unique for an Alternative station outside of market 25...and we're market in 136.
4. How has The Buzz changed in the past year?
On November 1st, we changed operators. Burlington Broadcasters, a local company used to run the show, now it's Hall Communications. We were only one of two stations before and now we're one of 20, yet, not much has changed. It's not about local versus corporate, it's about which corporation you are with, and I'm with a great one. The people at Hall have let us do our thing. I've got a crazy amount of respect for the way they handled the transition. They know we have a good thing going here, and they have only added to the magic of this place, not take anything away.
5. Rundown your on-air line-up with a brief description of each jock?
Mornings: Pete Powers. Next level talent wrestling with his inner 12-year old boy. It's a 12 round fight every morning.
Middays: Me, talentless hack.
Afternoon Drive: (Kevin) Mays. Highly polished music nerd, like Matt Pinfield. He's our indie cred. Most stations hide that guy at midnight on Sundays. We highlight him in afternoon drive.
Nights: Johnny Utah. He could run for mayor in this town and win, easily. Raw talent and with the right coaching could go a long way. With the wrong coaching, he'll be dead within a year.
6. What would surprise people most about the station?
Old radio guys truly hate this station. If it was taught in a radio class, you can bet that we don't do it. Everything has a spin on it, even down to the opener for the EAS test. We go all the way with everything.
7. What has been your biggest accomplishment at the station?
Being the dominant Rock station in the market, not just the Alternative station. It's not about building a niche, it's about owning the town, and we're well on our way.
8. What is the one truth that has held constant throughout your career?
You can't do your thing in the programming department if the station doesn't hit the sales goals, so do whatever you can to help the sales staff. They are your friends, not your enemies.
9. What are you most passionate about at work?
I'm passionate about the product. It's nice to believe in what you're promoting.
10. Besides WBTZ, what is your favorite radio station and why?
I'm so impressed with what 91X (San Diego) did this year. The whole face front attitude of "hey, we once were a great station and now we're going to be great again" took guts. I've always loved the imaging on WAAF (Boston). I love that KROQ (Los Angeles) can still be constantly adventurous in market #2. I love that WEEI (Boston) can talk about the one topic for 24 hours a day and still be #1. Their listeners are truly sick.
Bonus Questions
What are your hobbies?
In the summer it's golf, but lately it's been the constant Elliot Spitzer debate. We're at war... we had a city destroyed by a hurricane... but that all needs to wait because we've got to find out how Green Day got on the radio in Syracuse! Who gives a shit how Green Day got on the radio in Syracuse?
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